Game of Thrones: Is Tyrion a Secret Targaryen?

A + J = T?

By
Matt Fowler

Warning: Spoilers for all of Game of Thrones through Season 7 follow...

"I used to dream of having a dragon of my own."

Game of Thrones and fan theories go together like King's Landing and the smell of - well - you know. That's not to say that the theories are bunk, of course. Some are rooted in very real things and as we prep ourselves for the final HBO season, we'll have to contend with the big one regarding the Night King possibly being some version of Bran and another one that's also recently resurfaced - Tyrion possibly being a Targaryen.

Well, half Targaryen. You know, like Jon Snow. Tyrion's Lannister side is easily confirmed. His mother, Joanna Lannister, died giving birth to him. But is there possibly another reason father Tywin has always hated Tyrion other than believing that he "killed" his mother? Could it also be because Tywin either flat out knew, or strongly suspected, that Tyrion was also not his child?

Back in the episode "Home," in Season 6, Tyrion managed to survive coming face to face with Daenerys' dragons. Targaryen blood, even if someone isn't full Targaryen, is able to quell Dragon rage and so that particular moment made fans pause a bit. Truthfully, there's not a lot on the TV series to back up the Tyrion/Targaryen theory, as most of it comes from the books, but this scene was big enough to make viewers wonder if there was something more to Tyrion's genetic build. Something that gave him a free pass in front of Dany's hungry, chained children.

Also, when he spoke to the dragons, or to himself in a way, he was able to bring up something he said to Jon Snow in the books - which is that when he was little he dreamed of having a dragon. A small one to fit his size.

Now if you'll recall, Jon Snow recently had a similar up close and personal dragon encounter. Jon had an intimate moment with Drogon and fans pretty much reacted the same way. Jon had to be a Targaryen for Drogon to allow him to pet his snout like that. Holding hands with this though was the fact that there was already a long-running theory about Jon actually being Prince Rhaegar's son and so this scene supported everyone's suspicions. Then by the end of the season, Jon's Targaryen-ness was confirmed.

So could Tyrion also be a half-blood like Jon, or is having one surprise Targaryen enough for the show? Let's look at some of the other reasons why some fans think Tyrion could be a fellow dragon rider.

In the books, it was made more clear that "Mad King" Aerys lusted after Joanna Lannister, even before she had married Tywin. It's believed this was the main reason Tywin and Aerys never got along, despite being allies. There was also a bit in the books about Aerys taking "liberties" with Joanna during her wedding to Tywin, and during her bedding ceremony. Naturally, they didn't have sex, and it's not clear what the liberties were outside of perhaps some crude remarks, but Tywin was overly protective of his wife after that.

It could also have been that Aerys was just trying to assert power over Tywin since Tywin had more money and arguably more influence over the realm. Regardless, Aerys' desire for Joanna is a big part of the theory. It's all speculative, but it would mean that Aerys, as king, would have had sex with Joanna (let's face it, he would have most likely raped her) after Jaime and Cersei were born. Jaime and Cersei both had the traditional blonde hair and green eyes while Tyrion had gold and silver hair (the silver being a Targaryen trait) and mismatched eyes.

These physical attributes were, again, part of the books as the TV roles weren't cast exactly with as much detail. Of course, Tyrion's hair has also darkened considerably since Season 1, or even the pilot episode, when it was a lot lighter.

"You are no son of mine."

Another major reason why some readers wondered about Tyrion's true father was because of how much Tywin kept insisting that Tyrion wasn't his. He even mentions, basically, having to live with Tyrion as his son because there was no way to prove otherwise. This could all be easily attributed to Tywin's base hate for Tyrion, all this denial, but it could also be literal. Tywin even referred to Tyrion as being "ill-made" at one point, but that again could mean something else given how much Tywin also abhors the fact that Tyrion's a dwarf.

Could all of this be the reason Tywin refused to claim Tyrion as his heir? With Jaime joining the Kingsguard, which forbids marriage, Tywin had no legacy. And for a guy so obsessed with legacy it would take something really big to have him kill off his line simply because he refused to hand over Casterly Rock, and heir status, to Tyrion. Something as big as Tyrion not being a full Lannister.

One final crumb in this bread trail - again, from the books - is the idea that Daenerys will find two more Targaryens so that she could emulate the conquering Aegon and his two sisters (well, sister-wives), Visenya and Rhaenys. Not just for camaraderie but also so they could each ride a dragon. Dany heard these "The Dragon Has Three Heads" words from a Rhaegar vision in the House of the Undying, which would have been at the end of Season 2 if it had made it onto the show. Instead, on TV, she saw a vision of Khal Drogo and her dead son Rhaego.

Another thing to consider, since most of the groundwork for this theory comes from George R. R. Martin's pages, is that Tyrion could wind up being a Targaryen in the books but not on TV. The HBO series is cramming a lot of stuff into its endgame but there's no way it can bring to life everything that's on the pages.

There are other book elements too that have fans wondering - like the saddle Tyrion made for Bran (could it come back as a dragon saddle?) and some prophetic words Tyrion got from a Red Priest overseas at one point - but since the show hasn't really spelled out all that much, and only has a few episodes left, they'd have to get really crafty to turn Tyrion into Dany's half-brother in the final season. Though, it would place Tyrion in contention for the title of "Prince Who Was Promised." Could he be "Azor Ahai?"